By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—THE Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin, has granted an ex-parte motion brought by the All Progressives Congress, APC and its candidate and governor-elect of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for leave to inspect all materials used in the conduct of the September 28, governorship election in the state.

Chairman of the three man elections tribunal, Justice A. Badamasi granted the application, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow the APC and its candidate to inspect the election materials after hearing arguments from counsel to Obaseki, Sentos Owootori.

It will be recalled that the INEC had declared the APC candidate, Obaseki winner of the election after he polled 319,483 total votes as against 253,173 polled by his closest rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP.

Though the tribunal is yet to be inaugurated, but a source at the tribunal said it would be inaugurated after the parties filed their petitions for hearing, which according to the source have 21 days to do.

The tribunal on Monday granted similar motion to the PDP and its candidate to inspect the materials used for the September 28, governorship election.